Rocket and launcher therefor



Dec. 26, 1961 Filed May 25, 1959 C. L. PARRIS ROCKET AND LAUNCHER THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet l VE/VIOR' ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 26, 1961 c. PARRIS 3,014,308

ROCKET AND LAUNCHER THEREFOR Filed May 25, 1959 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 6 28 10 B 30 4 42 I /7 22 I 2a /N 1 5 N TOR By ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 26, 1961 c. L. PARRIS 3,014,308

ROCKET AND LAUNCHER THEREFOR Filed May 25, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m 9mm 4 I By ATTORNEYS.

3,0145% ROCKET AND LAUNCHER THEREFOR Cecil Leo Parris, Savannah, Tenn, assignor to Parris Mtg. (30., Savannah, Tenn, a corporation of Iowa Filed May 25, 1959, Ser. No. 815,602 4 Claims. (Cl. 46--86) This invention relates to a toy rocket and launching means therefor, the rocket being returned to earth by means of a parachute and the launcher being either a hand operated type or one that is attached to a toy rifle barrel.

One object of the invention is to provide a toy rocket of simple, durable and inexpensive construction having therein a folded parachute and a simple and inexpensive timing means that ejects the parachute from the rocket after the rocket has attained some height in its flight, so that the parachute then floats the rocket back to earth.

Another object is to provide an automatically releasable vacuum timing means for the ejection of the parachute so that the rocket can be launched to attain considerable height unhampered by the parachute, whereupon the parachute opens to brake the descent of the rocket.

Still another object is to provide an automatically releasable latch for the timer so that the timer can be energiZed and latched in the energized position prior to launching, and then uniatched at the time it is launched in an automatic manner so as to start the timing period running.

A further object is to provide hand launching means including an elastic member to which the rocket is hooked, whereupon the elastic member is stretched and the rocket released to be launched thereby, a release actuator being held by the hand that also releases the rocket and which actuates a release finger of the vacuum timer so as to start the timing action at that time.

Still a further object is to provide a launching tube particularly adapted for mounting on a toy rifie or the like and having a launching spring that may be compressed and then held by a trigger which upon release lets the launching spring launch the rocket and at the same time releases the vacuum timer, the rocket launcher permitting the user to launch the rocket from his rifle and then shoot a cork from the rifle at the rocket as it floats to the ground While suspended on its-parachute.

An additional object is to provide a safety catch on the trigger of the rifle-mounted launcher to prevent accidental operation of the trigger until such time as it is desirable to launch the rocket, thus permitting loading of the rifle after the rocket is positioned on the rocket launcher.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my toy rocket and launcher therefor,

whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy rocket and hand launching means therefor shown in the launching position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rocket after it is launched;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation thereof as it is being returned by its parachute to the ground;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a release actuator;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views through the rocket showing in FIG. 6 the rocket prepared for fiight and in FIG. 7 one stage in the flight;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the rocket looking in the direction of the arrow 8 adjacent FIG. 5 and showing certain positions of thevacuum timer release finger;

tcd States Patent ice FIGS. 9 and 10 are sectional views on the lines 9-9 and 10-40 of FIG. 6 respectively;

' FIG. 11 is a side elevation of the rocket mounted on a rifle-mounted launcher and showing a toy rifle;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of FIG. 11 to show details of construction;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view on the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation of the launching tube per se;

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the trigger for the rifie-mounted launcher and associated parts thereof; and

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1616 of FIG. 12.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference character B to indicate a rocket body of molded plastic or the like which has a forward timing cylinder 10 and a rearward parachute containing cylinder 12. A piston 14 such as a cup leather is slidable in the timing cylinder 10 against the bias of a spring 15, a stem 16 being connected therewith and having a guide washer 18 thereon in the cylinder 12 as shown in FIG. 6. A parachute 20 is folded into the cylinder 12 and its shroud lines 22. connected to an eye 17 of the stem 16.

The stem 16 has a laterally extending release finger 32 and the cylinder 12 has a slot 34 longitudinally thereof for the release finger to slide in. The forward end of the slot 34 has a pair of lock notches 36 and 38 extending in opposite direction therefrom as shown in FIG. 8 for purposes which will hereinafter appear.

The piston 14 is biased to move toward the right in FIG. 6 by a spring 15, and the spring together with the piston and the cylinder 10 constitute a vacuum timing means which, if too slow in action, is provided with leak means 40 in the form of a minute hole (see FIG. 6) so that the movement of the piston 14 can be regulated in a predetermined manner. One or more other openings 42 are provided in the cylinder 10 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

A launching shoe 24 is provided on the bottom of the cylinder 10 which, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 9, is H- shaped to provide a pair of side grooves 25. Preferably the rocket body B has a plurality of stabilizer fins 2S and a plurality of tail fins 30.

A release actuator 44 (see FIGS. 1 and4) is provided having a finger loop 46, a shoe receiving slot 48 and a release finger actuator .50 which is in the form of an inclined flange. A hand launcher 52 is provided consisting of a handled yoke 54 and an elastic or rubber strip 56.

In FIGS. 11 to 15 I show a rocket launcher adapted for mounting on a rifle barrel 62, the stock of which is shown at 64. A launcher tube 66 is provided and suitable brackets 67 mount it on the barrel 62. Within the launcher tube 66 is a launcher spring 72 and a plunger 70. The top of the tube is slotted at 68 to receive the grooves 25 of the launching shoe 24, and the rocket is moved rearwardly in this slot to compress the spring 72 by the shoe 24 engaging the plunger 70 as shown in FIG. 12.

When the FIG. 12 position of the parts is reached, a trigger 74 having a hook holds the plunger 70 in opposition to the bias of the spring 72.- The trigger is pivoted at 76 to a bracket 78 on the launcher tube 66 and is normally in the engaged position under the action of a spring 88. Advantageously a safety catch 82 may he slid ably mounted on the trigger 74 and have a flange 84 to enter a notch 86 of the bracket 78 as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 13 to prevent accidental release of the trigger. The trigger is so positioned with relation to the release finger 32 when in the notch 38 of the slot 34 that when the trigger is released to the dotted position shown in FIG. 13, it will swing the release fingerout of the notch 38 and permit the vacuum timer to operate as in FIG. 2 during the flight of the rocket. The toy rifle 6264 may be of the corkshooting type, a cork being shown at 92 so that the user may shoot the cork at the parachute or rocket on its way back to earth. To prevent the user from shooting rocks or other hard objects from the launching tube 66, a cross pin 94 and a flange 96 may be located therein so that the launching tube does not present a hazard. The flange 96 extends high enough that the upper edge of the flange 96 is just below the launching shoe 24 as it leaves the launching tube so as not to interfere with its action.

Practical operation In the operation of the toy rocket shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, the rocket is prepared for flight as in FIG. 6 by moving the piston 14 forward in the cylinder 10, using the release finger 32 as a handle, the parachute 20 and shroud lines 22 being folded into the cylinder 12, and the release finger 32, upon reaching the forward end of the slot 34, being swung into the notch 36 (dotted position of FIGS. 1 and or full line position of FIGS. 5

and 8) to hold the piston against movement under the v bias of the spring 15. The prepared rocket is now associated with the release actuator 44 as shown in FIG. 1 with the slots of the launching shoe 24 received in the slot 48 of the release actuator. Since the release finger 32 is in the notch 36, it will clear the release finger actuator 50 during the associating operation. The finger is then moved to the full line position of FIGS. 1 and 5 in the notch 38 (or dotted position of FIG. 8) and the cylinder 12 grasped by the right hand 60 as in FIG.

1 while the left hand 58 holds the hand launcher 52 as illustrated with the elastic 56 engaging the launching fin 26 and stretched. One finger of the hand 60 is in the finger loop 46 of the release actuator 54.

It is now obvious that if the right hand 60 is opened to release the rocket, the rocket will be projected into the air and the release finger 32 will slide along the inclined edge of the release finger actuator 50 so that when the rocket is in flight the finger will be slid along the slot 34 as in FIGS. 2 and 7 by the expanding spring 15 until the position of FIG. 7 is reached. Thereupon additional air is let into the cylinder 10 through the openings 42 and the spring 15 can expand rapidly (dotted position of 14 and 32 in FIG. 7) for forcing the remaining portion of the parachute out of the cylinder 12 quickly to permit it to properly unfurl. The rocket will then be floated to the ground by the opened parachute as in FIG. 3.

When using the rocket herein disclosed in conjunction with the rifle-mounted launcher of FIGS. 11 to 16, the rocket is prepared as for hand launching and the shoe 24 entered into the front end of the slot 68 of the launching barrel 66 at which end the plunger 70 is located at that time, the spring 72 being expanded. As the rocket is moved rearwardly, the shoe 24 moves the plunger 70 as to the position shown in FIG. 12 whereupon the spring 88 of the trigger 74 causes the hook 80 thereof to engage the front end of the plunger 70 as shown in FIG. 13 to retain the spring 72 compressed. The safety 82 may now he slid forwardly from the full line position of FIG. 12 to the dotted line position in a the notch 86 to prevent accidental release of the trigger 74 while the rifle 6264 is being cocked and loaded with the cork 92.

When the rocket is ready. for flight, the release finger 32 is moved from the notch 36 to the notch 38 whereupon it will be in the position shown by full lines in FIG. 13, the safety 82 is slid back and the rocket will be launched when the trigger 74 is pivoted to the dotted line position of FIG; 13 which releases the plunger and moves the release finger 32 from the notch 38 into alignment with the slot 34. The rocket will be launched as in FIG. 2, in which the timing action is taking place the same as when hand launching.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my toy rocket and launcher therefor without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included as my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a toy rocket, a hollow body having a timing cylinder and a parachute containing cylinder, a spring urged piston slidable in said timing cylinder, a parachute adapted to be folded into said parachute containing cylinder and having its shroud lines connected to said piston, said timing cylinder acting as a vacuum timer to slow down the movement of said piston in said body under the action of said spring, a latch for said piston means on said body with which a launcher may coact to launch said rocket into the air holding means for said rocket, said rocket being slidably supported thereby and capable of disassociation therefrom when the launcher launches said rocket, and means carried by said holding means and coacting with said latch to release the same as said rocket slides relative to said holding means and before it becomes disassociated therefrom.

2. In a toy rocket, a hollow body having a timing cylinder and a parachute containing cylinder, a piston in said timing cylinder, a stem extending therefrom, a parachute adapted to be folded into said parachute containing cylinder, spring means tending to force said piston toward said parachute containing cylinder, said piston, spring means and timing cylinder acting as a vacuum timer to slow down the movement of said piston and stem rearwardly in said body under the action of said spring means and thereby the movement of said parachute out of said parachute containing cylinder, a lateral extension from said stem, said rocket body having a slot longitudinally thereof to slidably accommodate said extension, the forward end of said slot having two notches laterally thereof to receive said extension, a release actuator for said extension, said rocket body having a launching shoe received in a slot of said release actuator, said release actuator having a flange to engage said extension and move it from one of said notches so that it enters and traverses said slot, the other of said notches being adapted to receive said extension and hold said piston without interference by said flange while associating said rocket with said release actuator.

3. In a toy rocket, a hollow body having a timing cylinder and a parachute containing cylinder, a piston insaid timing cylinder, a stem extending therefrom, a parachute adapted to be folded into said parachute containing cylinder and having its shroud lines connected to said stem, a spring tending to force said piston toward said parachute containing cylinder, said spring, piston and timing cylinder acting as a vacuum timer to slow down the movement of said piston and stem rearwardly in said body under the action of said spring and thereby the movement of said parachute out of said parachute containing cylinder, a lateral extension from said stem, said rocket body having a slot longitudinally thereof for said extension, the forward end of said slot having a notch to receive said extension, a release actuator for said extension, said rocket body having a launching shoe slidable along said release actuator, said release actuator having inclined means to engage said extension and move it from said notch to traverse said slot, whereby said rocket body may be held in one hand and propelled by an elastic band launcher held in the other hand while the one hand holds said release actuator to cause the inclined means thereof to function.

4. In a toy rocket, a hollow body having a forward timing cylinder and a rearward parachute containing cylinder, a piston slidable in said timing cylinder, a stem extending rearwardly therefrom and into said parachute tending to force said piston toward said parachute containing cylinder, the forward end of said timing cylinder being closed whereby said piston, spring and timing cylinder act as a vacuum timer to slow down the movement of said piston and stem rearwardly in said body under the action of said spring means and thereby the movement of said parachute rearwardly out of said parachute containing cylinder, leak means for said vacuum timer to regulate the timing action thereof, a latch for said piston in the forward position thereof comprising a release finger on said stem, said rocket body having a slot longitudinally thereof for said release finger, the forward end of said slot having two notches laterally thereof to receive said release finger, a release actuator for said release finger, said rocket body having a launching shoe slidable on said release actuator, said release actuator having means to engage said release finger and automatically move it from one of said notches so that it then traverses said slot, the other of said notches being adapted to receive said release finger and hold said piston in its forward position without interference by said last means while associating said rocket with said release actuator whereby said rocket may be held in one hand and propelled by an elastic launcher held in the other hand while the one hand holds said release actuator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,082 Giese Dec. 26, 1933 2,178,551 Almgren Nov. 7, 1939 2,559,458 Orr July 3, 1951 2,748,529 Swan June 5, 1956 

